For instance, Hamilton recalls two examples of democracies rising from authoritarian governments that are often used to justify the United States' current occupation of Iraq -- Japan and Germany. Hamilton argues that the "accomplishments of Japan and Germany depended in part upon the framework of 'collective security' that guided American foreign policy from World War II through the Cold War" (para. 2). The collective security arrangements that Hamilton credits, in part, with the success of Japanese and German democracy are NATO, the UN, the World Bank, the IMF, and the WTO (para. 2). Although they aided Japan and German's journey to democracy, these organizations are not simply a means by which the United States attempts to perpetuate imperialism. Instead, these organizations often fail to achieve results because of sovereignty. Member nations refuse to ratify treaties and support actions, and their sovereign power allows them to do so. On the other hand, these collective security agreements impose on the sovereignty of member states by persuading them to view interests in a collective manner. In this regard, however, collective security may be more likely to fail because of exertions of sovereignty, but sovereignty is not generally compromised, as passing binding resolutions is often hindered by a state's ability to exert its sovereignty. Still, these organizations often prove somewhat successful, as Hamilton argues. For instance, they supported Japan and Germany's rise to democratic powers. Thus, collective security organizations are marked by success and failure. The failure of collective security institutions is often rendered by the exertion of sovereignty on the part of member states. While member states do feel pressured to change sovereign decisions in these organizations, however, they are not prevented from exerting these sovereign decisions, obviously. Thus, though they are not always successful, collective security agreements, with their respect for state sovereignty, do often succeed in part. Hamilton's example of Germany and Japan's eventual turn to democracy can be viewed as a case study.
Collective Security and State Sovereignty in the Future
Thus, as organizations that do not undermine state sovereignty, will collective security agreements continue to...
Hamilton addresses this point when he remarks that "new partnerships and coalitions must be forged to combat common threats like drug production, terrorism, and weapons proliferation" (para. 4). To do this, collective security agreements will begin to form among not only states, but also among intergovernmental organizations, like political organizations, multinational corporations, and possibly even terrorist groups. When this occurs, questions will be raised for state sovereignty on a much greater level. Will this put these other organizations at the same level of importance as states? Will states begin to loose sovereignty to intergovernmental organizations? Will collective security agreements lead to the reorganization of the world as we know it? Will these new order collective security agreements work? These questions can only be answered in time, but the history of collective security agreements allows for informed opinions to be made.
Conclusion
Collective security agreements have occurred throughout the history of international relations, but the modern era of multinational conflict management through collective security began shortly after the First World War. Collective security agreements have had a mixed review of success and failure. When they fail, member states' exertion of sovereignty is often to blame. On the contrary, collective security agreements often pressure member states into changing their positions, but do not remove their ability to make sovereign decisions. Thus, collective security agreements today to not encroach upon state sovereignty, though the future, with its new order coalitions, may prove more complicated.
Works Cited
Hamilton, Lee H. "21st Century Collective Security." Woodrow Wilson's International
Center for Scholars. 2009. 6 March 2009. http://www.wilsoncenter.org/index.cfm?fuseaction=news.item&news_=13959
League of Nations: Background." History Learning Site. 2000-2008. 6 March 2009. http://www.historylearningsite.co.uk/leagueofnations.htm
Stromberg, Roland N. "Collective Security." Encyclopedia of American Foreign Policy.
2008. 6 March 2009. http://www.americanforeignrelations.com/a-D/Collective-Security.html
